Tips On Adding a Fire Pit or Fire Place to Your Backyard

Before you know it, winter will be over and spring will be on the way. Now is the time to start planning for a functional and fun addition to your patio or outdoor living space.

Very popular items with homeowners are fire pits, fireplaces, fountains, and patio heaters. We will mainly cover fireplaces and fire pits in this article.

FIRE PITS:

Fire pits can be a more inexpensive alternative for your outdoor area/backyard. There are DIY kits available for around $300 to $800 for a higher quality kit.

You want to be sure your fire pit has a fireproof metal liner surrounded by heavy-duty masonry. There are wood-burning options as well as LP and natural gas options to choose from. The larger fire pit units with a gas line can cost as much as $2000-$4000. These are well-made and classy in appearance.

You can also contact a landscaping firm to do all the construction for you. These can be built using concrete covered with stucco, stones, or concrete pavers.

A fire pit approximately 3 or 4 feet in width can perk up a smaller yard. For larger spaces, you can consider larger ones up to six feet. These are typically around 1-3 feet in height.

Be sure to place the fire pit in an area that can be surrounded by the seating of your choice. Such as benches, couches, or chairs. Having a fire pit burning, and sitting around it with friends and family can make for great, peaceful entertainment.

As mentioned before, wood burning fire pits or fireplaces are an option. Make sure your check where you live regarding no-burn regulations that might be imposed.

The better way to light up a nice fire pit is with natural gas. That will require natural gas access, of course, and the help of a professional licensed in the installation of gas.

Propane tanks are another option for your fire pit. Just like a bbq grill!

Some fire pits can have ceramic logs or specially treated glass beads that emit quite a beautiful light show!

WARNING! Avoid buying the smaller metal bowls or boxes on legs that you may see very inexpensive on the internet or local hardware store. In this case, you certainly get what you pay for. These cheaper ones will rust out (always) and are not very stable. Remember safety first!

FIREPLACES:

There is no limit to what one could spend if choosing a fireplace for your backyard or patio area. A very modest fireplace can start at around $1500. We have seen fireplaces costing upwards of $9000. Again with fireplaces, the best source of fire will be a natural gas line extended from your home by a licensed professional.

There are many material options to choose from for your fireplace such as prefabricated units that are constructed of concrete, stone, custom-built from scratch stucco, brick, or marble. Although the actual design of a fireplace looks simple, it can be quite complicated to build safely and properly. Remember you have to have a chimney to allow the gas and smoke to be emitted. The size and the location of the firebox are also very important. So in your own best interest, it is wise to hire a professional to build the fire pit for you.

SAFETY: Monitor children and pets around ANY fire source! Fire pits do get hot, which sounds rather redundant, but believe it or not, fire pits have been returned because "it got hot". Go figure. Have fun planning your outdoor living space!